How to find your sweet spot as a freelance designer

Today, I learned about finding my creative sweet spot! Man, my priorities are really shifting. For me, being a freelance creative has proven more cost-efficient and flexible for growth than representing myself as an agency with a lot of overheads and collaborating with other professionals—just to tackle large projects that feel too heavy for the size of my business, especially for my creative energy.

I want to emphasize that this is different for everyone. Scaling a design agency might not work for me because I’ve learned over time that my creative energy and ideas have limits. I realized I can only prioritize around 2-4 projects per month, and that’s okay!

I also learned that I’m not great at managing the financial and operational aspects of my business, so freelancing simplifies everything for me!

As a fellow freelancer, I hope these takeaways help your creative journey:

• I find freelancing more cost-efficient for both you and the client since there are fewer overheads. You’re your own team, and the process is simpler

  
  

• For creatives like me, who spend 90% of their energy on design and execution and only 10% on business development, freelancing feels more manageable. This balance helps me become better at what I do, which, in turn, helps my freelance business grow

  
  

• That’s the balance you might need to boost your confidence to improve your rates and building long-term relationships with great clients. Great products attract great people, now that’s growth!

  
  

• As for creative energy, don’t get me wrong—collaborating with other professionals can be efficient, but in my case, it’s tough because I’m not built to be a manager. I realize I accomplish projects more effectively when I’m solo—to each their own, right? (I love supporting my creative friends though! Whether sharing projects with them or just simply sharing their stuff online).

Because of these lessons I’ve learned over the past months, I’ve seen my freelance design business grow faster than my previous creative agency, which I spent three years trying to scale. Now I have more clients, represent myself well, communicate faster, keep expenses low, and enjoy healthier profits with a simpler business development process.

Finding your sweet spot is about recognizing the limits of your energy—knowing when to tell yourself, “This is enough for my life.”

Mon Oct 28, 2024 4:09 PM